You’re invited to the 2009 Inauguration Ceremony.The Ceremony will be held on January 1st at 12:00 p.m. at the Birdsall-Fagan Police Court Facility, 86-88 Spring Street.Join in attending the inauguration of Assemblywoman Sandra Galef, Town Supervisor Catherine Borgia, Town Councilmen Michael L. Tawil, Mayor William R. Hanauer, Village Trustees Marlene Cheatham and Janis A. Castaldi.Following the ceremony, please join us for light refreshments.

Ossining Recreation 2009 Winter Brochure Online Now!To view the brochure go to the Village of Ossining website at www.villageofossining.org, click on the tab on the left side that says “Departments” then click on Recreation and Parks Department.Please note that program registration begins on Tuesday, January 6th from 9am to 9pmat the JosephG.CaputoCommunity Center, 95 Broadway unless otherwise noted in the brochure.Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.Registration after the above date will be taken Monday through Friday between 9:00AM and 6:00 PM. No registrations will be accepted on Saturdays. Checks or money orders should be made payable to the Ossining Recreation Department or as otherwise specified in the program description.NO CASH ACCEPTED. Some class sizes are limited, so please register early. Ossining Senior citizens get a 10% discount. Non-residents, including seniors, pay additional fees for all programs. You can register online starting on January 1st at 9am. An Ossining Recreation Department ID card is required to register for programs. This is now an annual fee and cards must be renewed yearly, no exceptions.Village of Ossining residents $2, non-residents $25 (outside the Village of Ossining).

The first installment of 2009 real property taxes for the Village of Ossining are due without penalty until January 31, 2009.Village property taxes are collected by the Village of Ossining Finance Department and may be paid by mail, in person, or on-line.

Tax payments should be made payable to the “Village of Ossining” and mailed to:Village of Ossining, Finance Department 2nd Floor, 16 Croton Avenue, Ossining, NY10562.Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 am until 4:30 pm.We will also accept property tax payments on Saturday, January 31, 2009, from 9:00 AM to 12:00Noon at Village Hall.The phone number for the Finance Dept. is (914) 941-2581.Payments can also be made on our web site, www.villageofossining.org during the month of January.

Important Notice For Cablevision Customers…Residents now have until December 31, 2008 to get the free digital box.The free digital box offer for Broadcast Basic & Analog Family Cable customers has just been extended until the end of the year, with the same terms as before.It is for existing customers in good standing with no changes in level of service.Also as before, only one free digital box per household and the free offer does not apply to new Cablevision customers.

Teatown Event - Saturday Morning Animal Encounters Who are Teatown’s best ambassadors? The animals in Teatown’s collection – that’s who! Each program we will feature a different animal and learn about its natural history, conservation status and ecological connections. For children of all ages, little ones should be accompanied by an adult. Saturday, January 3, 11 am – 12 noon.Members free, Nonmembers $5. Pre-registration required. Teatown LakeReservation, 1600 Spring Valley Road, Ossining. (914) 762-2912, ext.110. Website: www.teatown.org; e-mail: Teatown@teatown.org.

Teatown Event - Story Sundays: The Animals Winter Sleep The first Sunday of each month brings a different story. From winter to spring we’ll follow the seasons and learn about the animals and changes that happen as the white of winter gives way to the green of spring. Each story-time will end with a craft or visit by an animal. For 4 – 7 year olds accompanied by an adult. Sunday, January 4, 11 am – 12 noon.Members free, Nonmembers $5. Pre-registration required. Teatown LakeReservation, 1600 Spring Valley Road, Ossining. (914) 762-2912, ext.110. Website: www.teatown.org; e-mail: Teatown@teatown.org.

Community Markets is now extending the farmers market season to last all winter long! Community Markets’ two new indoor markets will enliven hibernating taste buds and satisfy cravings for healthy, local food throughout the cold months! On January 10th, shoppers used to getting their local food fix at farmers markets in Pleasantville, Tarrytown, Ossining and Katonah Lewisboro can now shop at the WinterMarket held two Saturdays a month from 8:30am-2pm in the Briarcliff Congressional Church on the corner of Elm Street and South State Road. From January until May shoppers at the WinterMarket will find many of the farm products they have enjoyed all summer including fish, pasture raised meat and poultry, pickles, produce, specialty foods, artisanal cheeses, cider, apples, pears, cider donuts, crusty bread and baked goods. On opening day of the market there will be live music to celebrate the WinterMarket kick off!

Village of Ossining Water Department Notice…Hydrant Flushing Schedule The Village of Ossining Water Department will begin flushing fire hydrants throughout the Village on Monday, January 5, 2009.Flushing of hydrants will be performed during daylight hours and will take approximately five weeks to complete.As the flushing of hydrants takes place closer to your home, you may notice some discoloration in your water first thing in the morning.Do not be alarmed.Just run your water for a short period of time and it should clear up.If the discoloration persists, please notify the Water Department at 941-6111.The Water Department regrets any temporary inconvenience you may experience; however, this operation is necessary for us to ensure the continued cleanliness of the water distribution system.We will do everything possible to minimize any problems.

To get you on your way, safely and efficiently, the New York State Department of Transportation has launched 511 New York – a free, one-stop, all-encompassing telephone and Web service offering authoritative information on transportation services and conditions throughout New YorkState. It operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.511 New York not only provides travel information by telephone but also through Internet Web pages, e-mail and personal digital assistants (PDAs) via www.511NY.org. Other hand-held, mobile and in-vehicle electronic devices eventually will be supported. The phone service is an interactive voice system reachable by landline and cellular phones, navigated by a user’s voice or phone keys.On 511 New York, you’ll get dynamic information on traffic and weather conditions; a transit trip planner spanning multiple service providers with information on schedules, routes, fares and park-and-ride lots; carpool, vanpool and ride-share referrals; tourism links, bicycling information and more. The traffic information includes congestion, incidents, traffic camera images, travel speeds and times, highway construction work zones and special, planned events. A personalized subscription service can provide alerts of major incidents and can be customized to give alerts for a particular area, county and travel corridor. The system offers a critical, single-point information source during transportation emergencies.511 is the national three-digit telephone number that’s been reserved for free travel information.

Attention Verizon Fios Customers!The Government Access Station will be broadcast on Channel 43.Currently this station is undergoing testing! Regular programming will begin shortly.Thank you for your continued cooperation.

The Ossining Athletic Booster Club (OABC) is spearheading a campaign to fund a scoreboard to be put on the lower field at OHS.During the fall and spring athletic seasons this field is in constant use by the various JV and varsity teams (plus AYSO during the weekend).OABC is looking for members to help fold letters and stuff envelopes on Saturday, December 27th from 12 – 3 p.m.at the Greater Ossining Chamber of Commerce Office, located at 2 Church Street, Suite 205.If you have any questions please email Kay at hawbru@optonlin.net or call 552-2181.Ossining High School Athletic Hall of Fame is currently accepting nominations for consideration into the Ossining High School Athletic Hall of Fame.Nominations can be sent to nvariano@ossining.k12.ny.us or dricci@ossining.k12.ny.us, nominations must be submitted by April 13, 2009.OABC is a non-profit volunteer organization comprised of parents, students, and other community members who have an interest in enhancing the athletic programs of the OssiningSchool District. OABC operates to assist the athletic departments and our student athletes by promoting a positive atmosphere. The Athletic Booster Club also provides moral and financial support needed for a successful athletic program. The Athletic Department budgets do not cover all of the costs to run a school athletic program and count on contributions from the OABC.

Teatown Event - Holi-Daze MiniCamp Get out from under all the wrapping paper and enjoy the gift of nature in winter. Days filled with games, animals, hikes and seasonal activities to end the year on a natural note.4 and 5 year olds: 9 am– 2 noon Fee $30 day;

-The Ossining Library's "Great Music" seriespresents January Jazz on Sunday, January 4th at 3 p.m. The concert will star The Brian Conigliaro Quartet, featuring Brian Conigliaro on guitar, Mike Goetz on bass, John Arrucci on drums and Kenny Venezia on saxaphone.Start the New Year off with an afternoon of jazz and blues from the 1920's- 1980's.Individually the musicians have performed or recorded with artists such as James Brown, David Amram, Vic Juris, Mariah Carey, Bob Dylan and others. Come hear the music of Sonny Rollins, Van Morrison, George Gershwin, Antonio Carlos Jobim and more! It all takes place in the theater. Admission is free.

-Weslee and Eugene McGovern will lead a new four part book discussion at the Ossining library beginning in January. "The Cairo Trilogy" by the Nobel Prize winner for Literature in 1988, Naguib Mahfouz will be the subject. The Trilogy consists of "Palace Walk", "Palace of Desire", and "Sugar Street'. "Palace Walk" will be covered in two sessions on January 12 and February 9. The other books will be discussed on March 9 and April 13. The McGoverns lived in Cairo from 2000-2007 and visited many times the streets and neighborhoods that are the setting for the Trilogy. Discussions will take place in the Conference Room beginning at 7 p.m.

Professional Job Opportunities with New YorkState Professional Careers Test, providing college seniors and graduates with an opportunity to compete for entry level professional positions with New YorkState government, important exam information!On or before August 31, 2009, you must have a bachelor’s degree or higher.This examination is open to college graduates or college seniors.Positions filled thru this test are located primarily in Albany and New York City in a variety of State agencies in professional fields.Application Deadline Date:January 5, 2009, Examination Dates:Saturday, March 7 or March 8.For more information go to http://www.cs.state.ny.us/examannouncements/announcements/oc/25-145.cfm

On Monday evening, January 26th the author James Bradley will be a special guestspeaker at the Ossining Public Library.His presentation will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the theater. Specializing in historical nonfiction chronicling the Pacific theater of World War II, Bradley, the author of "Flags of Our Fathers" is the son of Navy corpsman, John Bradley, one of the six Marines who raised the American flag during the Battle of Iwo Jima. The book published in 2000 tells the story of this event and the cover photograph raising the flag on Mt.Suribachi has become the most duplicated and reproduced photo ever taken.Bradley has gone on to write "Flyboys: A True Story of Courage" and his upcoming book "The Imperial Cruise" will be published in 2009. Bradley continues to lead an exciting life, whether it be walking among lions in Africa trekking to Mt.Everest's base camp, or producing corporate films.He recently established a foundation in support of American and Japanese student exchange programs to offer young people the opportunity to experience each other's culture.Join us in a conversation with James Bradley and learn more about his life and interests in the global world.

Local Law Regarding Alarm Systemsto Go Into Full Effect in January Please be advised that property owners/tenants with an alarm system must register with the Village Clerk.Applications submitted, will be processed and permits will be issued for the 2009 year.Full text of this local law, as well as the permit application, is available online at www.villageofossining.org.False alarms shall be subject to penalty.If you have any questions, please contact our Village Clerk, Mary Ann Roberts at 762-8428.

Do you have an event or information that you would like included in this web blast?If so please submit to Christina Papes at the Village of Ossining at cpapes@villageofossining.org .